Trousers-stretcher.



No. 779,350. PATENTED JAN. 8, 1905. D. P. COOPER.

TROUSERS STRETGHBR. APPLIUATIQN FILED we. 17. 1904.

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@Annuuununuunmm figlllllllIlllllIlllllllllllllllllllllllll WITNESSES:[NYE/V708 I 2621 53 .2 Z ZZm-w/ No. 779,350. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

Y D. P. COOPER.

TROUSERS STRBTGHER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17. 1904.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

TROUSERS-STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,350, dated January3, 1905. Application filed August 17, 1904. Serial No. 221,098.

To all whmn it Wtcty concern:

Beitknown that 1, DAVID PERRY OoorER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Struthers, in the county of Mahoning and State ofOhio, have invented a new and Improved Trousers-Stretcher, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invent-ion relates to trousers-stretchers or hangers, andespecially to that class of these devices which comprises clamps whichattach securely to the garments and are forced apart by an extensiblerod.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple device of this kindwith improved means for locking the extensible rod in an extendedposition. A further object has been to produce a device the parts ofwhich are adapted to fold neatly and compactly.

Theinvention consists in the construction and combination of parts to bemore fully described, and definitely set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, which form a partof this claim, in which drawings like characters of reference indicatelike parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the device, representing the same as being applied to apair of trousers, the extensible rod referred to above being representedin its unextended condition. Fig. 2 is a side elevation similar to Fig.1, but representing the stretcher in operation with the extensible rodin its extended condition. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through oneof the clamps, the same being broken away, this view being upon anenlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of theextensible rod upon an enlarged scale. and Fig. 5 is-a side elevationrepresenting the parts of the device unfolded and grouped together.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 and 2 represent a pair ofclamps, the former of which .is adapted to be applied to the lowerportion of the trousers 3, while the clamp 2 has greaterlength and isadapted to be applied at a suitable point, such as that indicated. Intheir construction these clamps comprise flat bars 4, preferably of woodand provided with bolts 5, passing through openings at theirextremities, as shown. These bolts project as indicated and are threadedfor the attachment of wing-nuts 6, passing, as shown, through slots 7and 8, adapted to receive them, the said .slots being formed in anopposing bar 9, as will be readily understood. As shown, the slot? ispreferably wholly within the bar 9, while the slot 8 extends to the endface thereof. The clamps 1 and 2 are substantially similar inconstruction; but the clamp 1 is preferably provided with a cord 10 tofacilitate the hanging of the trousers, as indicated.

In the adjacent edges of the bars 4 round sockets 11 are formed, andthese sockets are adapted to receive the extremities of an extensiblerod 12. This rod is formed of sections 13 and 14, which normally make aloose running engagement with each other at the point 15, as shown. Todescribe this connection at the point 15 more in detail, it should bestated that the inner extremities of the sections 13 and 14 overlap ortelescope, as shown in Fig. 4. The extension 13 is formed at itsextremity into an eye 16, disposed in a plane substantially at rightangles to the axis of the rod, and a similar eye 17 is formed upon theextremity of the extension 14. The extension 13 passes freely throughthe eye 17, and likewise the extension 14 passes freely through the eye16, from which arrangement the rod-sections may be extended ortelescoped upon each other. The portion of the rod section or extension13 which lies between the eyes 16 and 17 is formed with an ofiset,preferably consisting of an enlarged loop 18 disposed laterally in aplane substantially parallel to the axis of the rod. Also the portion ofthe rod extension 14 which lies between the eyes 16 and 17 is offset toform a loop 19, which is substantially similar to the loop 18, but ofreduced dimensions, as will appear.

Referring specially to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the body of the loop18 forms an acute angle at the point 20, where the straight extension 21of the rod 13 passes toward the 9 eye 16. From this construction itshould now readily appear that by holding the rod extensions 13 and 14so that the loops 18 and 19 extend in different directions the sectionsof the rod may be readily extended or telescoped without the loopsengaging with each other. However, it should be also apparent that bydisposing the loops in a plane substantially at right angles to eachother the body of the loop 19 may be made to engage the loop 18. Uponthis fact depends the operation of the device. On bringing the loopsinto engagement the loop 19 preferably seats itself in the anglereferred to at the point 20.

In applying the device the bars 9 should be detached at the extremitieshaving the slot 8, so as to enable the same to be swung down into somesuch position as that in which they are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,enabling the trousers to be received upon the inner faces of the bars 4.The bars 9 would then be applied, as will be readily understood, inorder to clamp the same upon the trousers. Before attaching the clampsthe extremities of the extensible rod 12 will be received in the sockets11, and the clamps would be disposed at such a distance apart that theloop 18 will be removed a slight distance below the loop 19, asindicated in Fig. 1. When the parts have been arranged in this manner,the loop 18 will be seized and forced in a direction to extend the rod,moving the same until it has passed the loop 19, whereupon the loop 18will be rotated laterally upon the axis of the extension 13, bringingabout the engagement of the loops at the point 20, as described above.In this manner the extensions are securely locked against a relativelongitudinal movement, pressing the clamps apart with sufficient forceto stretch and crease the trousers, as will be readily understood.

The construction described for the extensible rod 12 adapts the sameadmirably for being folded for the purpose of packing the same into abox. When in this folded condition, the sections of the rod will assumesubstantially the relation in which they are shown in Fig. 5, the eye ofeach rod lying adjacent to the extremity of its mate.

It should now appear that the device is very simple in construction andeasily applied, and by reason of the small space which it occupies whennot in use it should be especially useful as an adjunct for travelerstoilet equipment.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a device of the class described, incombination, a pair of clamps adapted to attach to a garment, anextensible rod having telescoping extensions formed with eyes guidingsaid extensions one upon the other, and interlocking means carried bysaid extensions between said eyes.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination ofoppositely-disposed clamps, an exl tensible rod disposed between thesame and comprising telescoping extensions, said extensions comprisingguiding-eyes and having loops which may engage to lock said extensionsagainst longitudinal movement.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair ofclamps adapted to engage a garment, an extensible rod disposed betweenthe same and having guiding-eyes at the engaging extremities thereof,said extensions further having offsets between said eyes which mayengage, to maintain said extensible rod in an extended position.

4:. In adevice of the class described, the combination of a pair ofoppositely disposed clamps, a rod disposed therebetween, and comprisinga pair of extensions, the adjacent extrernities of said extensionsoverlapping, and having eyes respectively through which the oppositeextension passes, the portions of said extensions between said eyeshaving laterallydisposed loops adapted to engage.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses,

DAVID PERRY COOPER.

\Vitnesses:

W. N. WILSON, A. M. DICKSON.

